Grand Prix weekend!

At the loading dock.

Greetings all you PR enthusiasts and fans of Edie Brown! We are proud to officially launch our company blog, and after a whirlwind of a weekend at the Baltimore Grand Prix, it's only appropriate to begin with such an awesome and amazing event.

While we we had our hands full responding to thousands of emails and phone calls, dealing with last-minute crises, and beginning our work days very early (by early, we mean 3:00 a.m. on some days), it is safe to say that the Inaugural Baltimore Grand Prix turned out to be a huge success! We also have the weather to partially thank for that, since the pending miserable conditions decided to hold off until the race was completed.

We began our extensive media coverage of the Baltimore Grand Prix months ago in anticipation of the excitement for Labor Day weekend. On Monday, Sept. 16, we spent a day with IndyCar driver Mike Conway. After being on early morning television and radio, Mike then made an appearance at Buffalo Wild Wings in Owings Mills, where he unveiled the car that he would be driving in the Grand Prix race.

Mike Conway at BWW in Owings Mills showing off his new car.

Two weeks later, on Thursday, Sept. 1, Conway returned to the same Buffalo Wild Wings with Andretti Autosport teammate Danica Patrick for a friendly meet-and-greet with fans.

Thursday may have been a rather relaxing day for Conway, but not so much for us. We began our day out on the track at 4:45 a.m. with WMAR TV for our first morning live shot. From 4:45 a.m. until 9:30 a.m., the corner of Charles and Pratt Streets saw a non-stop parade of driver interviews with three local TV news stations (WMAR, WBAL and FOX). We met many drivers, their PR representatives and other racing officials. Our interns didn't seem to mind the erratic time schedule, as they were too distracted by all the handsome drivers they met.

After putting in about five hours of work already, our Thursday was only beginning. We explored the IndyCar and IndyLights paddock, which were inside the basement level of the Baltimore Convention Center. A truly amazing operation! At noon, despite the grid-locked traffic downtown, we drove over to the Merritt Downtown Athletic Club where IndyCar drivers and Brazil-natives Tony Kanaan and Vitor Meira were to flex a few muscles as they demonstrated a workout routine they use both in training for the Ironman and for racing.

The rest of the day was spent running from one office to another, to Pit Row, set up in the parking lot in front of Camden Yards, and back to the paddock, coordinating more media opportunities with drivers and their PR representatives.

Friday was another early-rising day. Again, at the corner of Charles and Pratt Streets, our local TV news stations went live, covering the Grand Prix and interviewing more drivers, including USF200 driver Zach Veach, IndyLights driver Josef Newgarden and IndyLights driver David Ostella. The poise and professionalism of these three young men astounded us as they were all under the age of 21!

WMAR anchor with driver David Ostella.

We also had the privilege of meeting and interviewing IndyCar driver, and eventual winner of the IndyCar Grand Prix, Will Power.

Later that day, the Indy paddock was teeming with media. The press conference with Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake brought much coverage from journalists, photographers, and TV reporters. CNN's Athena Jones had the honor of touring the paddock with the mayor, and she even took a ride in a safety car around the track for some close and personal footage. Shifting gears and bringing the cameras over to Pit Row, WJZ reporter Mike Schuh interviewed Jay Davidson, President of Baltimore Racing Development. Several more hours of paper work, last-minute interviews, press conferences, and phone calls brought Friday to a fruitful close.

Press conference with Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake.

With two successful media days under our belts, we were ready to tackle Saturday and Sunday, both significant race days for the Indy Series and the American Le Mans Series. Mr. Schuh returned to the track early Saturday morning to interview Tequila Patron CEO and ALMS driver Ed Brown and ALMS driver Scott Sharp. FOX also interviewed young, and talented USF2000 driver Shannon McIntosh. On Sunday, many drivers were pre-occupied in the morning in preparation for the most anticipated race of the weekend, the IndyCar championship race. We were able to capture a quick interview on WBAL TV with IndyLights driver Peter Dempsey. Prior to going on camera, we had a moment to chat with the Irish-born racer and he could not emphasize enough how much he loved and appreciated the enthusiasm of the Baltimore crowd. How proud we felt!

IndyLights driver Peter Dempsey thrilled to be on camera.

As the checkered flags rippled in the air, the exhilarating weekend and final race concluded with forerunner Will Power crossing the finish line for another victory.

We cannot wait to see what next year's race will bring, and we can only expect Baltimore to orchestrate another spectacular show for all the world to see!